Colorado sandhill crane season 2026-27: dates, units and bag limits
Sandhill crane is open in Colorado from October 3, 2026 to November 29, 2026, east of the Continental Divide except North Park (Jackson County) and the San Luis Valley (the part east of I-25). This page has the 2026-27 dates, the daily bag and possession limits, the licences you need and the rules that apply, read from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife brochure.
2026-27 season dates and limits
| Season | Dates | Where | Daily bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandhill crane season, east of I-25 | October 3, 2026 to November 29, 2026 | east of the Continental Divide except North Park (Jackson County) and the San Luis Valley (the part east of I-25) | 3 | 9 |
Shooting hours: Half an hour before sunrise to sunset.
Units we can plan for sandhill crane
The legal area is as the brochure words it in the table above. These are the units inside it that our maps cover: a unit missing from a list may still be open, so check the brochure.
Sandhill crane season, east of I-25: east of the Continental Divide except North Park (Jackson County) and the San Luis Valley (the part east of I-25)
45 units: 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 95, 96, 97, 98, 100, 101, 102, 103, 106, 107, 109, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 119, 120, 121, 122, 124, 125, 126, 127, 130, 132, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147.
Licences and stamps
- Colorado small game licence
- Colorado Habitat Stamp
- Harvest Information Program (HIP) number for this season
- The permit this species needs (see the brochure)
Rules for sandhill crane
- Carry the free sandhill crane permit with your licence.
- Shotgun holding no more than three shells. Rifles and pistols are not legal for migratory birds.
- Keep one fully feathered wing or the head on each bird until you are home.
- Whether non-toxic shot is required for cranes was not confirmed. Use non-toxic shot.
- Cranes are closed west of the Continental Divide, in North Park and in the San Luis Valley.
Do not mistake these for sandhill crane
- Whooping crane (protected or closed: never shoot): White, with black wing tips and a red and black face, and larger than a sandhill. It may travel with sandhill cranes. Federally endangered. If any bird in the flock is white, do not shoot.
- Great blue heron (protected or closed: never shoot): Flies with its neck folded back in an S and slow deep wingbeats. A crane flies with its neck straight out and a quick upstroke.
- Geese, swans and pelicans (different season or permit): Short legs that do not trail behind. Geese have their own seasons and stamps; swans and pelicans are protected.
How to hunt sandhill crane
- Scout for birds on the field the evening before. Sit the flight line between roost and feed, well hidden. Cranes see very well.
- A wounded crane can injure a dog or a person with its bill. Approach with care.
Where to walk for sandhill crane in your unit
FilledTag finds the patches of the right habitat for your date on public land in the unit you choose, each with legal parking and the walk from the truck.
Check my hunt See a sample planWhat a map cannot tell you
- This is a low-odds hunt. The open area holds few cranes, and nearly all of the feed is private cropland the planner does not offer.
- Only the units wholly east of I-25 are mapped. Elsewhere only an owner's draft can be made.
Source
2026 Colorado Small Game & Waterfowl brochure (corrections 21 Aug 2026), pages 6 and 11; CPW regulations chapter W-5 (03/04/2026): https://cpw.widen.net/s/bklvf2bjmw/colorado-small-game--waterfowl-brochure. Read October 2, 2026. Rules change every year, and corrections are issued during the season: read the current brochure before you hunt.